Collision coverage is very important for protecting your vehicle against the financial loss that comes with physical damage to your vehicle. It's not hard to get into accident. When an accident happens, someone is always at fault, and that could be you. Collision insurance will cover damage from a collision with another vehicle, tree, pole, guardrail and most other possible roadway hazards.
We started by identifying Texas’s five biggest auto insurers by market share, and compared their financial strength, coverage options, and customer service, using methodology similar to our review on nationwide providers. Then, we checked J.D. Power and Consumer Reports to see how each company’s customers scored them, both overall and on their claims experiences. Next, we looked at the Texas Department of Insurance’s “Complaint Index” for each company — a measure of how consumer complaints filed against them compare to the state average. And finally we collected quotes for six hypothetical drivers, taking note of each company’s available endorsements and discounts.
Farmers has the fourth-largest market share in Texas at 8.7%, and a Consumer Reports overall score of 89 (above average and tied with State Farm). But according to J.D. Power, Texans are slightly less impressed with their Farmers claims experiences than they are with Allstate’s. Consumer Reports readers also expressed a bit more annoyance with the timeliness of their payments, and its complaint ratio, while still well below average for Texas as a whole, was higher than State Farm’s. Farmers’ financial strength is a couple of notches lower than the rest, too, which doesn’t mean it’s about to go bankrupt anytime soon — it’s just the difference between “quite stable” and “completely rock-solid.”
Additionally, you can get coverage for international travel, regardless of which state you live in. If Kaiser Permanente's limited scope works for you, it has a helpful app. In fact, it was one of only three to earn a A+ in our tests. It works on both Android and iPhone and is incredibly easy to navigate and well designed. It’s map feature will show you exactly where your local doctors and hospitals are. One other unique feature about this provider is its multilingual services. Kaiser Permanente has interpreters who can translate medical information for those who don't speak English.
Let's use the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy as an example to illustrate the differences between collision and comprehensive. Within that storm, let's consider two events that might have happened: 1) a heavy tree branch fell on your car, or 2) you swerved to avoid a falling tree branch and wound up crashing into a tree. In the first event, you had no control over when or why a tree branch would fall on your car. This kind of accident would get reimbursed under your comprehensive policy. In the second situation, you were driving the car and ultimately swerved into the tree, which makes it a collision, and collision insurance therefore pays for the damages. Events like the hypothetical ones stated above are why it's important to differentiate between the two types of coverage.
At U.S. News, we’re all about helping people make life’s important decisions, and we’ve been informing people since 1933. In 1983, we launched our college rankings, which for decades has set the standard in educational rankings. Since then, we’ve used our expertise to rank everything from hospitals to diets to states, and in 2007, we started ranking cars. Now we’re continuing to empower you with the information you need to make the right choices for your life with our Best Car Insurance Rankings.
Additionally, you can get coverage for international travel, regardless of which state you live in. If Kaiser Permanente's limited scope works for you, it has a helpful app. In fact, it was one of only three to earn a A+ in our tests. It works on both Android and iPhone and is incredibly easy to navigate and well designed. It’s map feature will show you exactly where your local doctors and hospitals are. One other unique feature about this provider is its multilingual services. Kaiser Permanente has interpreters who can translate medical information for those who don't speak English.
Premiums, in our tests, were within the average price range of other websites we tested. Costs were slightly above average for 44- to 55-year-old customers, but not by a lot. Even though we tried to test as comprehensively as we could the quote you get back will vary depending on your own needs and medical history. There are benefits available through the health and wellness program. You can get discounts for health clubs, fitness monitors, diets and other health-related products and services as well as a prescription manager where you can order your medicine online or through the mail. You can also find in-network doctors anywhere on the website or mobile app, which is useful when traveling. And speaking of traveling, temporary international coverage is available.
Evaluating health insurance companies for every person's needs is impossible. Plan pricing can vary greatly depending on your exact circumstances. However, we collected data to help us determine the selection of plans available and average premium rates for the companies we reviewed. We rated the companies highest that provide a wide range of plan options coupled with competitive pricing. We researched the least and most expensive plan options for metropolitan and midsize town locations across the U.S. for 35, 45 and 55-year-old non-smoking males. Using this data we were able to determine which service generally offers the widest range of plan options at a reasonable price. The quotes you receive might vary greatly from our test data depending on your specific situation.
The quote and application process was so fast and easy. I called my local office in Burleson. Both ladies I spoke to were extremely professional, quick to respond, and super friendly. Not only was the service great, they lowered my annual auto premium by $256. I am so glad that I made the call and look forward to doing business with Standard in 2015!